A Jaguar's Lament
by beans4breakfast
Summary: Fighting has been their whole lives, nothing else brings them more wealth, love or satisfaction to their troubled lives. But it has also brought corruption, betrayal and lament. When the masked wrestler donning the black jaguar mask is in trouble, his long time friend and fellow wrestler known for his yellow jaguar mask does what is needed to be done.
1. Prologue

**_Prologue_**

Tears streamed down his face, though none would have noticed behind the jaguar mask. Lights were everywhere filling the stadium with what seemed to be more than a hundred different hues, rebounding off of a hundred more surfaces making the sight almost blinding. But for all revealing light, leaving no dark crevice in the roaring dome unlit it seemed that he was the only one shrouded in shadow, the only one wearing a cloak of grief and sorrow. It was beginning to grow warmer, sweat started to collect on the top of his brow, he could feel it there starting to irritate and tempt him to itch, it was then that he realised why, the majority of the different colored lights had focused in on him. The roar of the crowd had not even passed through his ears or maybe it had, he was just too deep in thought to recognize the deafening sound, "King! King!" they chanted.  
He never was fond of the spotlight, the cheers, the reward. It had been all about being the best, the rush of adrenaline when facing an opponent physically stronger than oneself, the metallic taste of blood in his mouth, the sickening thud that came from another's head connecting with a fist or knee. The spotlight, the cheers, the reward, they had been his brothers motivation and they loved him for it. But no more. No more would his brother feed off of his well desired and well deserved recognition and popularity. No more.  
The first footstep down the walkway seemed to take an eternity. This was all his doing he thought to himself, his brother would still be alive if not for him and his carelessness and sense of pride. His brother would be in his place walking down the ramp with the yellow jaguar mask on top his head, basking in the symphony of screams and whistles and the onslaught of flashes from the media. And he would be where his brother was, fastened to a fold out chair, the black jaguar mask hanging limp in his hands, dried blood covering his face from the number of cuts inflicted from blows with brass knuckles, iron bar and bare fist. He would be there, beaten to death and none but his brother and Julia would have known it was him.  
His foot finally hit the ramp, shortly followed by the opposite. The sweat beaded down the face, mixing in with already present tears that had done all but ceased to slide down his cheeks and into his mouth, it tasted salty, it tasted like regret.


	2. Chapter 1 - Feel A Thing

21st October 2006, Tuesday 20:19

The worst part was the choice that he had given him. In one hand there was his brother's only chance of living, in the other there was the life that his brother cherished above all else and a life that he himself had been a part of for as long as his memory could recall , either way it was bad.

Julia was unconscious, she had been for the last two and a half hours, though he couldn't blame her, she had been through more in the past few hours than either of the brothers would in year. She was tough, something he couldn't admit of for a lot of individuals, and as far as women went she was top of the range. Her hair was everywhere, sticking to her face where the tears had dried up and mixed in with the makeup under her sockets. That was probably one of the major things that annoyed him as well. Julia had always managed to keep herself presentable, no matter the dilemma or wherever we were, she always got a smile out of everyone. It would be hard seeing her the same way after this; a friend, confidant, fan but more than anything else, something he had considered her as for what seemed a lifetime; family.

She was strapped in a cheap fold out chair similar to his brother. Though she had been placed what seemed almost purposefully in a provocative position with legs spread and arms behind her head. It made him sick with rage, though this wasn't the time to use it.

The figure of his brother was almost unrecognizable, bruised and bloody his face resembled that of a skinless fruit that had been dropped one too many times. Unlike Julia he was conscious and composed. Sitting upright like the king of savannah peering over his territory, he really did deserve his title. It wouldn't have been surprising if he had just stood up and wiped the floor with all those that had wronged them, though the chains that bound his ankles and wrists and about another sixty percent of his body to the unstable fold out chair kept tame like a domesticated beast. It was a sight that no living man had ever seen.

The glaring eyes of Mishima's dog gave nothing away, his smirk said it all. "Choose swiftly or both shall perish" the recorded message's voice of Kazuya Mishima echoed in his mind. A hurricane of emotions was whirling around his entire being, but he couldn't afford to let them loose, King would never forgive him and too much was at stake.

His left hand was tightening around the device whose button would take the life of Julia. Being connected to a light machine aimed at her head and only millimeters away ensuring no possible way of missing, she wouldn't feel a thing, wouldn't she?


	3. Chapter 2 - Never

**_20_****_th_****_ October 2006, Monday 18:36_**

"Don't you realize what could happen?" bewilderment and frustration exerting from his tone made King smile, he couldn't see the smile procuring behind the life-like mask but he always knew when he was. "All _our _workwill be undone, all of it!"

King clasped his left shoulder roughly but playfully. "No. All our work would have been worth it" The grip on his shoulder tightened as he grasped for the right one before Armor King escaped his embrace.

Staggering and trying to regain his footing, he always had trouble breaking free of his brother's clutches, he straightened himself upright, his eyes reaching just above King's brow, he was taller than his bro, had been since they were late teenagers. "You're drunk with fame! You haven't even considered how this is going to affect us do-

-us? And who would that be?" retorted his brother. He was taken back, after all these years and the challenges overcome together who else could _us_ be?

They stood there facing each other for what seemed like an hour, time always seemed to go slower when arguments broke out between the two professionals, arguments worth arguing always did.

"Who do you think?" Armor King finally answered. Instead of an answer he was given silence. "Granny Miche! Me! Julia for fuck sake!"

His brother's head lowered in what seemed to be in shame, finally he he's coming to his senses he thought to himself.

"All that matters is that I don't let them down" His head lifted up again, he seemed taller, his voice calm. "Out there is where I can show them"

King began to walk away, the match must be starting soon he remembered, it was scheduled for seven o'clock tonight on the dot. Looking down at his watch the face told him six fifty one. Looking back up he saw his brothers back, Vaseline had been rubbed over his body, something the two always did before a fight so their opponents couldn't grapple with them without a massive effort.

"So you're going to just abandon all we've accomplished?" He called after his rival and brother.

Stopping and tilting his head to the side, King said "Never."

"Then throw it! Please!" he pleaded, but to no success. Light pierced the warm-up room they were in. Blue, red, green and yellow rays filled the quarters followed by the blast of the mega speakers that encompassed the stadium. His brother's song streamed out of it. The roar from thousands of excited and adrenalized fans smothered his shouts to his brother, he couldn't even hear himself, there was no chance King would despite his claim to have hearing like a bat.

He lost sight of his brother as his rippling figure shrunk off into the piercing light and deafening jumble of screams and chants.


End file.
